The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-12
AN IRISH coNsrABLRs LOT.
A Talk With Some of the Men Who
Resigned from the Bailiff Guard.


by the landlords towards the helpless Irish
tenantry, when read in book or newspaper,
are horrible enough; but when these tales
come direct from the lips of men who have
been eyewitness to the occurrences which
they narrate, the wondering query comes to
the listener: OF what material are these
landlords made! Seated in room in the
Kenwood House, at No. 81 Bowery, a
reporter talked for an hour with
three of the twelve men who arrived here
the other day having resigned their posi-
lions in the Royal Irish Constabulary be-
cause they conld no longer stand the sick
ening scenes they were forced to take part
in as guardians of the Sheriffs and baliffs
while engaged in coercing the starving ten
ant farmer and turning them out of their
homes. The men were James McNulty, An
drew Mclntee and John O'Rourke, three
fine specimens of sturdy young manhood.
intelligent and full OF earnest feelings.
They told of the way in which the con-
stabulary were distributed all over Ireland,
compelled to be always ready at the beck or
nod of the sheriff or the bailiff to march to
the work of spoliation. The constabulary
are held at stations a few miles apart
throughout the island, eight or ten men us,l-
ally at each station, although sometimes
there are many more, and the only work
that they are called upon to do is that which
the sheriffs and bailiffs provide for them.
But they are kept busy, very busy, for the
landlord mill never ceases its grinding. at
would seem that in former years there must
have heen some little spark OF pity in the
heart of the landlord said McNulty, ''for
it is only within the last six or seven years
that things have came to the dreadful
state that they are in at present. But each
year seems to be worse than the one preced-
ing, and God knows what will happen if the
awful work goes on. There is no profit at
all in the farming. All that a man can
hope to DOLBY his utmost toll is barely to
keep body and soul together in himself and
family. If he falls the least behind in his
rent the bailiffs are upon him at once and
his cattle-frequently it is only a single cow
are seized upon and carried off. Then, if
his land be left to him, it is only that he
may grow a crop for the landlord, for if he
plucks up heart enough to till the soil down
comes the sheriff upon him as soon as the
crop is grown, his little effects-a stool or
two, perhaps a table and a bed-are flung
out upon the roadside, can of coal oil is
scattered over the hut that gave him shelter,
the match is applied, and there he is with
his helpless ones, with no roof to cover them
and no morsel of food to stay the cravings
of hunger.
"What does he dol Oh, well, a neighbor
will, if he can, let him sleep a night or two
in an clubhouse with the pigs and the cattle,
but what he is ultimately forced to do is to
take to the hedge, throw a few sticks to-
gether and crawl under, with the earth for
bed. Then his wife and his children and
himself must go from house to house, get
ting morsel Of food here and a morsel
there from big-hearted neighbors who can
poorly spare even that morscl, but who are
always ready to divide the last crust with
those who are still more unfortunate than
themselves. The aged the sick, the young
none are spared, and it is no uncommon
thing for man, woman or child to die upon
the roadside within twenty-four hours of
their heartleSS eviction.
Just how the fiendish the thing is" said
McIntee, may be judged from the fact that
hundreds and sometimes thousands of
pounds are squandered in cases where the
apparent purpose is to collect a few paltry
pounds of rent, but where there is no expec-
tation of accomplishing anything but the
ousting of the tenant and the destruction of
his rude shelter. Why, there was an illus
tration of that recently at Donegal, where
G6O0 We're spent to evict for a back rental
of Els. Only six weeks ago there was
case at Dingle, county Kerry, where twelve
families owed an average Of Sc each. Twas
were sent there and kept there for
a fortnight. The people could not
pay because the land was so barren it
wouldn't produce anything. The people of
that whole section were in most deplorable
state. | saw about 1900 OF the inhabitants,
and out of the whole lot there weren't
twenty who had a pair of boots on. We had
to divide with them the lunches we carried
in our haversacks When we got a chance
eli 70
devour it ravenously. l saw a widow whose
child was very sick go to the landlord and
beg for Gods sake to be allowed to remain
a few days till the child improved, but the
answer was, No, not if you were my own
mother
But, speaking of the great sums of
money that are thus expended to effect such
CHASTITY purposes, they have all to be paid
by the people themselves in the form of a
police tax Such occurrences as these are
not at all unusual. They happen every day
deed, the people are so accustomed to them
that they have actually forgotten to be
shocked by them. = But although every case
is bad enough, we now and then saw cases,
the circumstances attending which were
enough to melt heart OF rock Sometimes
the police get permission TO subscribe to a
purse to save the evicted family from starva-
ton 1t was not long ago that woman
named Monahan was being put out at Car
Gross. She was very feeble and
had family of small children, one of them
being sick. There was an old broken pot
lying alongside the house, and as the men
filed by they each dropped what they could
into it, and the priest took it up and carried
it to the woman, adding his own mite to it,
But we might go on and give you such in
stances by the score.
If it wasn't for the boys and girls who
come out here to America and send back
home all that they can save, Things would
be much worse than they are. But it seems
a shame that this money should go over
there, for every cent Of it goes into the
pockets Of the landlord. | remember one
woman about to be evicted who pleaded
very hard for time enough to write to
America to Her son. This boon was granted
TO her, and she must have deemed herself
very fortunate indeed, because it was great
act of indulgence"
0'Rourke told of an early morning trip he
had taken with force of constabulary to
place named Kilsarkin in the county Kerry.
The bailiffs usually called upon the CON
TO accompany them on their raids
before the sun rose in the hope of taking the
by surprise, and Selling upon
their cows before q chance was afforded to
drive them off to neighbours place. But a
regular sentinel system was. maintained by
the poor farmers, n large portion of whose
stlstenance came from their cows, and the
of the bailiifs would be heralded
while still they were long way
Off. In this case a horn WIS blown